Ivy says:
I was speaking with a neighbor recently who was having problems with her cat peeing all over the house. I asked her if she had take the cat to the vet to rule out a kidney infection and she said she had. The vet had suggested she buy more litter boxes.
She thought this was a stupid suggestion. “I have one cat and one litter box, how many do I need?” I told her the general rule of cat boxes is to have one for each cat plus an extra, especially if you live in a multi-level house as she does.
You should have at least one cat box per level* even if you have 3 levels and only one cat. For some unknown reason, cats are generally very fastidious about their pottying, but they will take a dump in your freshly folded laundry quick as a wink if their litter situation is not to their exacting standards.
Some cats may not like the type of litter you’re using, or they might not think you’re cleaning the boxes fast enough to suit them. Keep trying different things and eventually you’ll hit upon the right thing.
As for my neighbor, I saw her tonight and apparently having a second litter box on the second floor has done the trick. Go me and my advice! 😉
*If you have certain floors the cat can’t access, naturally you don’t need a cat box on that level.
i am still pretty new to being “owned” by my cat, but something i have done since we adopted her is to make a drive by on the litter box in the morning and in the evening…i know scooping is not much fun, but figured i would share something that has worked for us…she has not ever had an accident anywhere, and she seems to be pretty happy with the way our little schedule works…plus, strange as it seems, i really do not feel like i am constantly scooping since it is just a little bit each time i go in. for what it is worth 🙂
Ivy, that’s really interesting. I have owned cats my entire life and never had such a problem. We are currently in a 3-level house and have one jumbo-sized litterbox in the basement for our one little Thundercat. No accidents.
However I will say that she had trouble with a small box–she absolutely needed a bigger one. I guess all cats are different, and have their specific needs that one must accommodate as a cat owner.
i have 3 cats
1 level
1 big box
but – my guys also go outside sometimes…
still a second box would be nice.
if only i were a better momma…
I used to use very expensive cat litter (I have three cat boxes), but realized that using the cheapest cat litter and emptying the whole thing every couple of days is the most economic way to go. Does anyone out there know of a litter that is flushable, doesn’t track on the floor?
This is a little off topic, but the problem I always have is the garbage can. Since I scoop into the garbage can, I change it pretty frequently, but it still reeks. Anyone have any good ideas about how to manage this? It always smells awful in this part of the house, and it isn’t the litter box.
We have four cats and now three boxes (had four but threw one out – they do get scratched up after awhile and the odor seems to get into the plasic) I dump them out once a week, scrub them with bleach water -rinse well and dry them. Scoop once a day. Always keep at least three inches of litter in each one. We have one male cat and it seems his urine is stronger than the 'girls'. Also if you have a cat that might be peeing in the house but can't find where buy a http://www.naturessecretweapon.com/products/stain… – these are worth their weight in gold ! I ask good friends when they visit if they "can smell the cats" – so far so good : D
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